The present disclosure relates to flexible hand grips and particularly, grips of the type employed on a handle or shaft such as may be found on shovels or sporting implements such as tennis racquets and golf clubs for example. Such hand grips are typically molded of pliable or flexible material such as rubber or elastomer and assembled onto the handle or portion of the implement to be grasped manually. Hand grips for such implements have the need to be frictionally retained on the handle portion of the implement and yet need to provide a soft pliable and flexible gripping surface for the user's hand, particularly where the implement is to be moved in an arcuate or swinging motion which would create exertion by the user, as is the case with golf clubs, tennis racquets and tools such as hammers. This has necessitated forming the thickness of the hand grip to an amount sufficient to provide a soft resilient or pliable surface for the user's hand not only for providing adequate grip retention but to prevent discomfort which would cause blisters upon repeated usage. However, where the material thickness has been provided sufficient to yield a compliant or pliable soft flexible surface for the user's hand, this has resulted in the need for a substantial amount of material to be provided in the grip and has yielded a grip that added weight to the implement, increased the amount of material required and a resultant increase in manufacturing costs.
Thus, it has been desired to provide a flexible pliable hand grip for use on an implement which is sufficiently soft to enable the user to grip and retain a hold on the implement during forceful movement and yet provide such a grip that requires a minimum use of material and one that is relatively light in weight.